Street sign arrangement

ABSTRACT

A street sign arrangement for mounting on a traffic signal having a base section and a street name plaque section. The base section is proportioned for mating engagement with the top portion of a traffic signal. A slot is provided in said base section and is proportioned to receive a cylindrical threaded portion of the supporting structure of the traffic signal. A nut forming a part of the supporting structure and received on said threaded portion is used to fix the street sign arrangement to said traffic signal.

United States Patent {72] Inventor Lyle E. Cent [56] References Cited IN gggiznzaspohs, ind. UNITED STATES PATENTS f 18; 1969 715,766 12/1902Dreman 40/145 [45] Patemed July 20l97l 3,488,875 l/l970 Gant 40/128 9[73] Assignee John W. Guterman FORElGN PATENTS Indianapolis, Ind. 64,5977/1946 Denmark 40/2 8 mares Primary Examiner Robert W. Michell AssistantExaminer-Wenceslao J. Contreras Anomey-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt &Naughton ABSTRACT: A street sign arrangement for mounting on a trafficsignal having a base section and a street name plaque section. The basesection is proportioned for mating engage- [54] g AinkgNcEMENT ment withthe top portion of a traffic signal. A slot is provided ng in said basesection and is proportioned to receive a cylindri- [52] US. Cl 40/128cal threaded portion of the supporting structure of the traffic [51]Int. Cl G09i 7/22 signal. A nut forming a part of the supportingstructure and [50] Field of Search 40/2, 128, received on said threadedportion is used to fix the street sign arrangement to said trafficsignal.

STREET SIGN ARRANGEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention is generally concerned with street signs. Morespecifically this invention deals with a street sign arrangement thatcan be attached to a traffic signal.

2. Description of the Prior Art Several streetsign arrangements areknown in the art. Some of them have been directed to combinations ofstreet lighting fixtures and street signs, traffic signals and streetsigns, or to illuminated street signs. Representative of thesearrangements are the patents to Sitz U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,871, SpringfelsU.S. Pat. No. 1,806,126 and Germain U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,633.

Much of the prior art is directed to integrated structures combiningstreet name signs, traffic signals or street lighting fixtures in singleunits. Because of their unitary structure, none of these arrangementsare adapted for use with previously installed equipment such as trafficsignals, but instead all are directed to replacing other equipment. Whatis needed is a street sign arrangement which is easily and quicklymounted on existing equipment, such as standard traffic signals.

It is at present the usual practice to mount street name signs either onstreet lighting standards or on individual posts intended solely tosupport street signs. The street signs in these locations are frequentlydifficult to spot, especially when driving through a strange city.Traffic signals are relatively easy to spot, both because they aregenerally positioned so that motorists will have an unobstructed view ofthem, and because they have red, yellow and green lights that aregenerally easily seen. For this reason, it is logical to locate streetsigns in close proximity to traffic signals, being careful, however, notto obstruct the motorists view of the traffic signal lights. .A furtherproblem involved in locating the street sign remotely from the trafficsignal is that the driver cannot easily operate his car, study thestreet sign and observe the traffic signal all at the same time.

As will be appreciated more fully below, the street sign arrangementofthe present invention solves each of the abovementioned problems, and inaddition, provides a long lasting arrangement that is esthc-ticallypleasing and clearly legible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One embodiment of the invention might include astreet sign arrangement for mounting on a traffic signal which dependsfrom supporting structure comprising a base section havingacomplementary configuration to the top of said traffie signal; a streetnameplaque attached to said base section andextending upwardly therefromat anobtuse angle thereto; said-base section having a slot therein whichis proportioned to fit the supporting structure for said traffic signal.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation ofastreetsign arrangement embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2' is an-enlarged side elevation with portions broken away toillustrate the attachment of the subject street sign arrangement toatraffic signal;

FIG. 3 is atfragmentarytop'plan viewof the arrangement; and.

FIG. 4" is aatop view'showing how. multiple street sign units can beused in conjunction withxeach other. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT Referring-to FIGS. l.i-3, there is' 'illustrated a'streetsignarrangement attachedto a trafficsignal 8. This signal is in turnsupported by bar l=which is-attached to'pole 14-and braced thereto bybrace 1-2. The signarrangement 2:.generally incor-- poratesa basesection-6 and a street name plaque section 4 whichisangularlydisposed'thereto; The angle between'these componentscan be. any.convenient value; however, it is preferred "that thisangle -beslightlymore than 90? in order that the-name=plaque sectionfaces=slightly downwardly. The. base section 6further incorporatesazslot30 whichis adapted-to receive a threaded member 18 which is in turnattached to support 10 via yoke 16.

The threaded member 18 passes through an aperture 7 in the upper platesection 5 of traffic signal 8. The threaded portion of the member 18 hasreceived thereon a pair of nuts 20 and 22. The nuts 20 and 22 aretightened against the upper section 5 to mount the traffic signal on themember 18. When this securing is effected the traffic signal can be hungfrom any convenient support using yoke 16. A watertight seal is formedaround aperture 7 by the positioning of rubber washer 24 between the nut22 and the upper section 5.

The street sign 2 is attached to traffic signal 8 by the biasing of thebase section of the sign unit against the upper section of trafficsignal 8 by means of the nut 20. In operation, attachment is effected bythe loosening of nut 20 on member 18. This nut is backed up the threadedshaft until sufficient clearance is obtained between nut 20 and theupper section 5 of the traffic light as to allow the base of sign unit 2to be slipped thereunder to a position wherein the slot 30 has receivedtherein the member 18. Caulking compound is placed around the threadedmember 18 and an insert piece 32 is positioned in the slot 30 with itssemicircular end 31 adjacent to the threaded member. The root of slot 30and semicircular end 3] of insert member 32 are so proportioned thatthey cooperate to form a cylindrical aperture, the diameter of which isapproximately equal to the diameter of the threaded portion of member18.

After the sign is so positioned, the nut 20 is tightened to draw thebase section 6 against the top section 5 of traffic signal 8 compressingthe washer 24 and forcing the caulking compound into all voids in such afashion as to form a watertight seal. As is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and3, the upper and lower edge portions of name plaque section 4 are formedinto flanges 34 and 35. These flanges generally extend the length ofname plaque section 4 and provide structural integrity to this section.The sides of base section 6 include flanges 36 and 38 which extend overan are biased against the sides of traffic signal 8. These flanges havea complementary configuration to the top of the traffic signal andgenerally make the attachment of the street sign to the traffic signalmore secure.

Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that name plaque section and thesupport section of sign unit 2 are positioned offcenter to each other.This offcenter positioning permits the placement of multiple unitsaround a central point wherein the name plaque ends extend beyond theplaques of adjacent street sign units. If desired the base section canbe located centrally of the street name plaque or at either end thereof.The subject street sign unit can be formed from all manner of materialssuch as metals, plastics, wood, etc. However, it is preferred'that thisunit be formed from a polyester resin which is reinforced with glassfibers.

I claim:

1.. A street signarrangement for mounting on'a traffic signal whichdepends from supporting structure comprising:

a basesection having a complementary configuration to the top of saidtraffic signal;

a street name plaque attached to said base section andextending-upwardly therefrom at an obtuse angle thereto; said basesection having a slot therein which is proportioned to fitthe supportingstructurefor said traffic signal; and, an insert member having asemicircular recess in one end thereof and adapted to fit into'said slotin such a manner that the recess and the slot define a circularaperture.

2. A street sign arrangement formounting on a traffic signal whichdepends from supportingstructure comprising:

a basersectionhaving a complementary configuration to the top ofsaidtraffic signal;

a street name'plaque attached to said base section and extendingupwardlytherefrom at an obtuse angle thereto; said base sectionhavinga slottherein which is proportioned to fit the supporting structure for saidtraffic signal; a'trafficsignal having a top plate;

prising a rubber washer received between one of said nuts and said topplate, an insert member received in said slot and defining with saidslot a cylindrical aperture through which said support member extends,and caulking filling said aper ture.

1. A street sign arrangement for mounting on a traffic signal whichdepends from supporting structure comprising: a base section having acomplementary configuration to the top of said traffic signal; a streetname plaque attached to said base section and extending upwardlytherefrom at an obtuse angle thereto; said base section having a slottherein which is proportioned to fit the supporting structure for saidtraffic signal; and, an insert member having a semicircular recess inone end thereof and adapted to fit into said slot in such a manner thatthe recess and the slot define a circular aperture.
 2. A street signarrangement for mounting on a traffic signal which depends fromsupporting structure comprising: a base section having a complementaryconfiguration to the top of said traffic signal; a street name plaqueattached to said base section and extending upwardly therefrom at anobtuse angle thereto; said base section having a slot therein which isproportioned to fit the supporting structure for said traffic signal; atraffic signal having a top plate; a support member having a lowerthreaded portion extending downwardly into said traffic signal throughsaid top plate; and, a pair of nuts received on said threaded portionand tightened toward one another to grasp said top plate and basesection therebetween.
 3. The street sign arrangement of claim 2additionally comprising a rubber washer received between one of saidnuts and said top plate, an insert member received in said slot anddefining with said slot a cylindrical aperture through which saidsupport member extends, and caulking filling said aperture.